Harvest Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:
6 oz barilla plus macaroni (dry weight)
¾ cup red onion, diced
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground sage
¼ c chopped walnuts, toasted
1 cup fresh parmesan cheese
1/3 cup granny smith apple, diced and sautéed
1, 15 oz can pumpkin
2 ¼ cups vegetable broth
1 2/3 c fat free skim milk or plain soy milk
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese (topping)
1 apple, thinly sliced

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta well and set aside.
2. Sauté onion in a large sauce pan over medium heat until softened, adding water as needed to keep onion from sticking to the pan. Add garlic and sauté another minute.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, vegetable broth, milk, and sage. Pour this mixture into the saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce has slightly thickened. Sprinkle in the 1 cup of parmesan cheese.
4. In a small saucepan, sauté 1/3 cup diced apple in water.
5. Combine all ingredients together and place is a 3 quart casserole dish.
6. Arrange thinly-cut sliced apples on top. Sprinkle on walnuts and 2 Tbsp of parmesan cheese.
7. Baked at 350 degrees until cheese melts, turning golden and sauce begins to bubble, about 15-20 minutes.

Yield: Makes 8, 1 cup servings

Nutrition information per 1 cup serving: 217 calories, 13 gm protein, 29 gm total carbohydrate, 6.5 gm total fat with 2.3 gm saturated fat, 5 gm fiber, 336 mg sodium.

1 serving of harvest mac and cheese provides
174% of the daily value for vitamin A, 24% of the daily value for calcium,
and 10% of the daily value for potassium.

Source: Adapted recipe by Lori Langlinais, St. John Health Plaza Café
Recipe analyzed by: Marianne Wetherill, RD/LD

St. John Medical Center